


bromance

by thesorrowoflizards



Series: random oneshots [5]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Abrupt Ending, College/Mundane AU, Denial, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Nervous Malec, just bros being pals., just guys being dudes. dudes being guys., magnus and alec are in love and ridiculous about it, terrible terrible oneshot, they're both nervous and in love, this is actually trash i just wanted something silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-01 14:19:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17245727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesorrowoflizards/pseuds/thesorrowoflizards
Summary: "Yeah, and you've had sex how many times?" Catarina asked, raising her eyebrows."....A lot." Magnus admitted grudgingly."Yeah, that's not technically a bromance."





	bromance

**Author's Note:**

> based on [this.](https://twitter.com/IamJackBoot/status/979518134209171462) also kind of [this reply](https://twitter.com/_Torgen/status/979522435950067712)

"So what nonsense did you call me for this time?" 

Magnus sighed fondly at the flickering image on the screen. Even a world away, Catarina was still his best friend. And despite it being the middle of the night in London, she was still willing to Skype with him about his silly drama.

"It's not silly," she said, rolling her eyes, and  _wow, okay,_ apparently he'd been thinking out loud. "You're my friend, and I was already up, anyway. And you know you'd do the same thing for me. Now what is it? You're clearly pretty stressed out."

"It's Alec," Magnus admitted, collapsing back on the bed. "He's driving me  _crazy._ I mean, I have  _no idea_ how he feels. He's impossible to read!"

She raised her eyebrow skeptically, unscrewing the cap to her water bottle. "Feels about... what?" she said, like she already knew where this was going.

"Me," Magnus said glumly. "Us. Our... bromance."

She snorted. "Bromance? Really?"

"Well, we're just friends," Magnus said, slumping back even further. "Friends only. Just guys being dudes, or whatever. Dudes who have sex."

Catarina choked on her water. "You  _what?!"_

Magnus groaned. "I  _know,_ I know. It started as this stupid drunken fling, and I totally thought that he was gonna awkwardly call me up and we'd decide to ignore it and my heart would be crushed, but instead it just sort of... kept happening?" 

"You've been hooking up with  _Alec Lightwood?_ Alec Lightwood, your good friend and long-time crush? The guy you once described as 'an untouchable dreamboat'?" 

"Well, it turns out he's a very touchable dreamboat," Magnus said, slightly snappy as he sat up to look at her, "But the  _problem_ is, we're just friends. He called me  _bro_ yesterday, Catarina.  _Bro._ You don't call someone you've been balls deep in  _bro_ unless there are absolutely  _no_ romantic feelings there."

"Or," Catarina said, holding up her drink, "He's desperately _hiding_ those feelings, and he thinks you don't like  _him_ back."

"We're  _bros."_

"Bros don't fuck, Magnus."

"Bromance. Slight emphasis on the romance, except it's just sex."

"Yeah, and you've had sex how many times?" Catarina asked, raising her eyebrows.

"....A lot." Magnus admitted grudgingly.

"Yeah, that's not technically a bromance."

"Look, I just... I really like him," Magnus admitted, voice dropping to a whisper. "I... I really don't think he feels that way about me, though. Even if it's not a bromance... it's not a romance, either."

He looked down at his hands... which means he didn't notice Catarina's eyes widen, staring at something over his shoulder.

"Uh, Magnus..."

"He  _doesn't_ like me, Cat," he said, slightly bitter but more resigned. "I'm just a good friend and a good fuck, that's it."

"Magnus, he's  _right behind you."_

It took a second for him to process the words, but when he did, he froze, and his heart dropped like a stone. 

"...ah," he said, throat dry, turning to look at him.

Alec was standing in the doorway, eyes wide and shocked.

"Okay, I feel like you should just, close the laptop screen for this talk," Catarina said.

Wordlessly, Magnus closed his laptop, turning his whole body to face him completely.

"May I ask... how much of that you heard?" he asked delicately. 

"Uh, quite a bit," Alec said. "...Bromance?" 

Magnus pursed his lips. "Look, it's fine, okay?" he said defensively. "You don't have to dance around the subject."

"Wh--"

"You don't like me like that," he continued relentlessly, "I get it, it's okay." 

"Magnus," Alec tried.

"You really don't have to let me down gently," Magnus said over him, determined to finish the monologue he'd practiced many times in the shower when he'd imagined this confrontation, "And while the--while the sex was... super great. Like... super good... it's totally fine if you never want to--" 

" _Magnus,"_ Alec said again, stepping forward and grabbing his hands. 

"What, do you want to keep hooking up? Because I mean, I'm not necessarily against that--" Magnus rambled.

"Can we take the b off the bromance?" Alec blurted out.

Magnus quieted, staring at him with wide eyes. "W... what?"

"I'm-I'm sorry, I just said. The first thing that came to mind," Alec said nervously. "You kept--talking about me not liking you, and the--the sex, and I just... you actually like me, right?" 

"...yes."

"As... more than a friend?"

"Not just a bro," Magnus confirmed, half-playful. 

"Then... go on a date with me? As... not-bros. As boyfriends. Or like, at least friends trying to be something more?" 

"I'd... like that," Magnus said, heartbeat fluttering wildly, hardly able to believe this was happening. 

"Can I... kiss you?" Alec asked hesitantly. 

"Please do," Magnus said breathlessly, and he leaned forward without even thinking.

Alec met him in the middle, hand cupping his cheek, lips soft on Magnus's. 

The kiss was soft, much softer than any other kiss they'd shared. Not a prelude to something else, no denial or pretending... Just a sweet, warm kiss between two men who honestly loved each other. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> this is terrible and kinda cute. it's so bad but i really need to finish making my piñata so i'm just tying this up real quick sorry lol 
> 
> also it took all my self control not to end with "just two guys being dudes....two dudes being bros.... bros who love each other deeply and both kiss and fuck a lot" or some dumb shit like that lmao


End file.
